Kings at Canucks
THE STORY: One point is better than none as far as coach Darryl
Sutter and the Los Angeles Kings are concerned. The club has won only
seven of its 13 games under Sutter but has failed to earn a point only
once during his tenure. Los Angeles attempts to pick up two points when
it visits the Northwest Division-leading Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday.
The Kings are wrapping up a three-game road trip during which they are
1-0-1, and have gone 3-0-3 in their last six away from home. Vancouver
is 6-2-1 in its last nine at Rogers Arena but began its six-game
homestand Sunday with a loss to Anaheim. The Canucks have won four of
six overall.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FS West (Los Angeles), RS Pacific (Vancouver)
ABOUT THE KINGS (22-15-9):
Jonathan Quick has been superb of late, going 7-1-4 over his last 12
starts while allowing more than two goals only twice in that span. Quick
enters Tuesday with a 3-0-2 record and 1.15 goals against average in
his last five road outings. While glad to get a point in Sunday's
overtime loss at Edmonton, Kings captain Dustin Brown was disappointed
in the team's effort over the first 40 minutes. "We got a point - it's a
big point - but we just didn't play very well in the first two
periods," he told the Los Angeles Times. "It probably cost us. It
definitely cost us a point. It was just one of those games. We've got to
be better."
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (28-15-3): David Booth
returned to the lineup Sunday after missing 18 games with a knee injury.
The left wing logged nearly 16 minutes of ice time, registering one
shot on goal and a minus-1 rating. To make room on the roster for Booth,
Vancouver assigned Mike Duco to Chicago of the AHL. In three games with
the Canucks, the right wing picked up an assist for his first career
point. Roberto Luongo has owned the Kings at home, posting a 7-1-1
record and 1.39 goals against average in his last nine starts against
Los Angeles at Rogers Arena.
OVERTIME:
1. Los Angeles has lost seven of its last nine visits to Vancouver and seven of 10 against Northwest Division opponents.
2. The Canucks have captured 22 of their last 30 meetings with Pacific Division teams.